COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The U.S. Figure Skating Championships are going South.

Greensboro, N.C., was chosen as the host of the 2011 national championships Wednesday, selected over Kansas City, Mo.

Novice, junior and senior titles in women's, men's, pairs and ice dance will be decided at nationals, which will be held Jan. 22-30, 2011.

This is the first time the event will be in North Carolina, and Olympic silver medalist Paul Wylie said it could be a boon for skating there.

"We have been growing in terms of new ice facilities and having more participants in the sport," said Wylie, who lives in Charlotte and coaches at the Carolinas Figure Skating Club. "With figure skating's premier event coming to the state in less than two years, I expect the growth in figure skating in North Carolina to be tremendous."

Next year's national championships, which are also the Olympic trials, are in Spokane, Wash.